Circuit-controlling instrument



(No Modell) F. LANE.

GIRGQIT CONTROLLING" INSTRUMENT Patented Oct. 21, 1884.

UNrTnn STATns ATnNT FFICEQ FRED LANE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING' INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,932, dated October 21, 1884.

Application filed October 25, 1983. (No model.)

T 0 (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Fnnn LANE, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Circuit-Controlling Instruments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a circuit-controlling instrun'ient which may be employed in connection with railway-signals, and for other purposes where it is desired to control one electric circuit by another.

The invention consists,essentially,in an elec tromotor and a stop-arm and detent therefor, combined with circuit-controllin g instruments operated by the said motor, whereby the said motor is retained in operation and the circuits controlled by it in a definite condition during a definite period of time after the release of the said motor by its detent, and also for a definite period after its re-engagement by the said dctent.

The invention also consists in various details of construction hereinafter specified.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a circuit-conv trolling device embodying this invention, a portion of the frame work being omitted for greater clearness of illustration; and Fig. 2, a plan view of a portion thereof. 7

The motor by which the circuits are to be controlled consists, essentially, of a ratchet toothed disk, a, adapted to be actuated by an armature -lever, Z), provided with a springpawl, 0, adapted to successively engage the teeth of the said ratchet and rotate the same as the said armature-lever is vibrated by successiveimpulses of the electromagnet (I, caused by the said lever automatically opening and closing at 2 the circuit of the said magnet, which includes a circuit-closer, c 0, controlled by the motor itself, as will be described. The disk a is shown as fixed on an arbor or shaft, j, which has loose upon it the stop-arm 71, adapted to have a limited movement on the shaft independent of the disk, but to be engaged with the said shaft or disk at the end of the said movement, it being shown as striking a pin, 2', on the 'disk a A spring, m, tends to move the arm it forward in the direction of rotation of the disk a as far as permitted by 1 number, for governing the circuits to be eonthe pin i, and when free from external restraint the said arm it will be rotated with the disk a, maintaining its forward positioirunder the action of the spring at. The end of the arm h is adapted to be engaged by a detent, 01, (shown as ashoulder on the armature-lever 0) of a releasing electro-magnet, p, the circuit of which may be controlled in any suitable man'- ner. The arm it has connected with it a hub, r, and the disk a or shaftf has connected with it a similar hub, s, which hubs have the same relative movement as the disk and arm, and are each provided with one or more notches, t, which coincide in the two hubs when the arm h is moved backward from engagement with the pin 2' a certain definite distance in the direction opposite to the rotation of the disk a. The said arm and disk are brought into such position with relation to one another by the continued rotation of the disk (1 after the arm h is arrested by the detent-n. The circuit closer e c,controlling the circuit of the actuat- 1 ing-magnet (l of the motor, and the circuitcontrolling instruments u a, of any desired trolled by the apparatus, each have a spring 0 or a bearing on the surface of both hubs 1- and s, and adapted to fall into the notches of the said hubs when in coincidence with one another at the point where they are held by the engagementof the arm h with the detent a, The circuit-closers e c and a a are in one condition when the spring cor it falls into the coinciding notches of the hubs r s, and in the opposite condition when resting 011 the air notched portion of the periphery of either of the said hubs, the instrument 0 0 being open in the former condition and closed when in the latter condition, while the other instruments, to a, may be arranged to open or close the circuit controlled by them, as may be desired, it being shown in this instance as adapted to keep the circuit controlled by it open while the motor is in operation and closed while the motor is at rest. The normal condition of the instrument will be with the arm h arrested, the disk at moved forward with relation thereto, so as to bring the notches of the hubs r and 3 into coincidence, and springs e a of the instrument 6 c and a a in the said notches, the former then keeping the circuit of the IOO magnet (6 open, so that it will have no tendency to actuate the motor. hen the detent n is disengaged by the attraction of the magnet 1), or otherwise, the arm h is immediately thrown forward by the spring m,bringing the nnnotched portion of the periphery of the hub 1' under the springs c a, lifting thesaid springs and reversing the condition of the circuit-controlling instruments 0 c and n n, and throwing the notches of the hub 7' out of coincidence with those of the hub s. The closure of the instrument 0 0 will set the magnet (Z and its armature in operation. causing the disk It and arm h to rotate, maintaining the same relative position under theaction of the spring m,and i'naintaining the said instruments 6 u in their reversed condition so long as the said rotation continues.

The armature-lever o of the releasing-magnet is shown as adapted to fall back against the stop 0, after the arm h is released by it, a sufficient distance to move its armature from the range of the attractive force ofits magnet, so that it will not be vibrated in case the circuit of the magnet p is broken and closed during the operation of the motor. The arm 71, in its rotation, will first engage the armature lcver 0 above the shoulder a and move it up within the range of attractive iiiiluence of the magnet 11, when, if the armature is unattracted, the said arm It will be engaged and held by the detent n, the notches of the hub 1' being in proper position to receive the springs c it, but the notches of the hubs s not yet being brought to such position, so that the circuit of the magnet d will remain closed and its armature will continue to rotate the disk (6 until the said notches are brought into coincidence. If, during this further rotation of the disk a, after the arm it has beeirengaged, the detentnis again disengaged therefrom, the said arm will spring forward again and will continue turning with the disk a for another revolution without restoring the springs c a to their normal position, and it will be seen that the restoration of the said instruments 0 c and w a to their normal condition cannot take place until after an interval of time after the engagement of the detent and arm. 7/, occupied by the further rotation ofthe disk u,necessary to bring the notches of the hubs r and a into coincidence. The

notches that receive the spring c of the circuit-eloser for the motor-actuating magnet will be adjusted to receive the said spring a little later in the rotation of the disk a than the other notch or notches receive the springs controlled by them, so as to insure that the rotation of the disk may not be stopped until after it has properly operated all the circuit-eontrolling instruments governed by it.

The armature-lever b may be provided with a weight, a, which maybe adjustable on it, as shown, to regulate the rapidity of its vibration, and as a consequence the length of time occupied by the rotation of the disk a.

I claim- 1. The electromotor comprising a rotary shaft and a stop-arm having a limited movement with relation to the said shaft, combined with a detent for the said arm, and a circuitand a stop-arn1 thereon, combined with the releasing electro'magnet and its armature, constituting a detent for the said arm, the said armature, after releasing the stop-arm, falling out of the magnetic field of its magnet and being restored thereto by the stop'arm, substantially as described.

4 The electromotor comprising a rotary shaft and stop-arm having a limited movement relative thereto and a detent therefor, combined with the notched hubs connected with the said arm and shaft, and the circuitcontrolling instrument for the circuit of the motor, operated by the said hubs, as described, whereby the motor is stopped at the end of a definite amount of movement after the stoparm. has been arrested by its detent, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this spccifica-tionin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

IliltED LANE.

Witnesses:

.Tos. 1. L'i'vnmitnzn, \V. II. SjmsrroN. 

